


When Harry met Lee

by sherlocksbuttonhole (daleksanddetectives)



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Awkward Lee, F/M, Family, First Meetings, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Harry and Lee look out for each other, Kingsman Recruitment, Matchmaker Harry, drinking buddies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-04 19:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4149453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daleksanddetectives/pseuds/sherlocksbuttonhole
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s safe to say that when Harry Hart hears unusual grunting sounds coming from an alleyway, the first thing he does is speed up. </p>
<p>Not to run away, mind you. Harry knows what it sounds like when someone gets a boot to the stomach. So when he peers around the corner and sees someone on the floor getting the shit kicked out of them, he can’t say he’s all that surprised.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Harry met Lee

It’s safe to say that when Harry Hart hears unusual grunting sounds coming from an alleyway, the first thing he does is speed up. 

Not to run away, mind you. Harry knows what it sounds like when someone gets a boot to the stomach. So when he peers around the corner and sees someone on the floor getting the shit kicked out of them, he can’t say he’s all that surprised.

He places his umbrella in front of himself, rests his hands on top and clears his throat. The kicking stops immediately and the group turn to look at him. There’s a quiet groan from who Harry can see is a young man on the ground.

“Gentlemen.” Harry starts, playing up his accent to match his prim appearance, “everything okay?” 

The one who seems to be in charge steps forward with a scowl, “you better get out of here. You ain’t seen nothin’.”

Harry raises his eyebrows, “but I’m afraid I have. Can’t we talk about this?”

Ring-leader sneers, “yeah, alright. Boys, you have a chat with ‘im while I get what  _he_ owes us.” He turns back to the lad on the ground and his ‘boys’ approach Harry.

“’ow much did this rush ya then?” One asks, running his fingers over Harry’s shoulder. 

Harry smiles, “wouldn’t you like to know.”

And that’s when he strikes the man with the handle of his umbrella, disorientating him enough to shove him against the wall and knock him out.

“Now,” he says, tilting his head at the rest, “are we going to stand around here all night, or are we going to fight?” 

They glance at each other and start forwards but Harry’s quick to immobilise all five of them with just his umbrella and fists. 

Harry hears the familiar sound of a small gun being cocked so he pushes past the man and dashes to crouch by the lad and opens his umbrella. The sound of bullets hitting the fabric makes Harry smile, so he clicks down the trigger and pulls it, launching the weight at the end towards the man’s head. He hears a loud grunt and the sound of him hitting the floor.

Harry stands, closing his umbrella and brushing some dirt from his sleeve.

“Who’re you?” The lad asks from the ground.

Harry smiles, “just a passing stranger.”

He turns to leave but is stopped by a hand on his arm.

“At least let me buy you a pint or somethin’, yeah? As thanks for stoppin’ that lot.”

Harry glances down at his watch and hums. Merlin wasn’t expecting him back at HQ for at least another hour. 

“I suppose one drink wouldn’t hurt. You know somewhere close by?”

“Yeah, my local is just round the corner. They’ve got a decent first aid box too, which I think I’m gonna need going by the throbbin’ in my eye.”

Harry offers a hand. The lad takes it and allows Harry to help him to his feet.

“So, what’s your name?” He asks as they leave the alley.

“Harry Hart. And yourself?” 

“Lee Unwin. Nice to meet ya.” Lee grins and sticks his hand out for Harry to shake. He points at the pub across the road from them, “here, The Black Prince. Shouldn’t be too busy this time of night.”

They enter the quiet chatter of the pub and Lee goes to the bar to order. Harry takes a seat at a small table near the door and smiles when Lee brings their pints over. He’s happy to find that Lee is fairly chatty and doesn’t try to pry too much into Harry’s personal life.

“Shit,” Lee mumbles suddenly, sliding down in his chair and covering his face with his hands, “she can’t see me like this.”

Harry frowns, “who can’t see you like what?”

Lee motions to the door with his eyes so Harry turns in his seat to look. He sees a small group of women talking among themselves as they head towards the bar. 

He turns back to Lee with a confused look on his face.

“The blonde one in pink,” Lee clarifies, “I’ve been wanting to ask her out for ages but look at her. She’s so far out of my league and look at the state of me with my busted lip and… Harry? Where’re you goin’?”

Lee removes his hands from his face when he realises Harry has stood up and made his way over to the group. He watches his new friend talk for a moment before he turns back to Lee and points him out to the lady in pink. He sinks further back in his chair when he realises their pair of them are walking towards him. 

“Michelle, hi,” Lee smiles awkwardly. 

She gives him a soft smile back, “Lee, your friend said you wanted to talk to me?”

He worriedly glances over Michelle’s shoulder at Harry.

Harry nods.

“Uh, I just wanted to ask ya if you fancied goin’ out for a drink or somethin’ sometime?”

She blinks, “yeah. I’d love to.”

“I can give you a ring tomorrow? Sort somethin’ out?”

“Alright,” she grins and tucks a stray hair behind her ear, “that would nice. Talk then, yeah?”

They smile at each other a moment more before she turns to go back to her group of friends who immediately bustle her over into a corner booth.

“Did I just ask her out?” 

Harry sits back down and takes a sip of his Guinness, “I believe you just did.”

“You’re like some kinda good luck charm,” Lee laughs, “just who  _are_ you, Harry Hart?”

“As I said to the gentlemen earlier, I’m nothing more than a passing stranger,” he puts his now empty glass back down on the mat, “and I’m afraid I’m going to have to be off. My employer has already put me through the wringer for being late far too many times this month. It was lovely to meet you, Lee. Thank you for the pint.”

“Strict boss?”

Harry stands, “not at all, just very sarcastic and an old friend.”

“Nice ta meet you too, ‘Arry,” Lee smiles, “and thanks for helpin’ me out tonight.” 

: :

“Harry!” 

Harry stops walking and turns to the owner of the voice. He spots Lee Unwin waving at him on the other side of the street, the hand not in the air tightly holding one of Michelle’s.

“You look remarkably healthier than the last time I saw you,” Harry comments when they’ve crossed, “I see your eye healed well.”

“Yeah,” Lee grins, “I just wanted to thank you for giving us that push. And to give you my contact details if that’s alright?”

“Of course,” Harry says, pulling out a small notepad from his jacket pocket. 

From then on, Harry and Lee would regularly meet up for a pint and a chat.

: :

One evening, almost two years after their pub nights started, Harry is greeted by a slightly tipsy Lee falling against him and wrapping his arms around Harry’s shoulders. 

Harry puts an arm around Lee’s back with an amused “hello.”

He glances over at Michelle, who’s sat on a bar stool. She smiles at him and lifts her glass of pop. 

“Harry, Michelle’s pregnant.”

“Really?” 

Lee nods with a proud grin, “she’s about twelve weeks. We only found out yesterday.”

“Congratulations, Lee. You’ll be amazing parents.”

“Drinks on me, tonight,” Lee shouts, slinging an arm over Harry’s shoulders and pulling him towards the bar. 

“Shouldn’t I buy you a drink? It is your good news, after all.”

“’cause we need to celebrate, and someone needs to drink Michelle’s share. And  _you_ are just the man fer the job.” 

Although Kingsman had trained Harry against the effects of alcohol, by late evening he’s definitely starting to feel a buzz. Whether it’s the company or the copious amount of beer and shots Lee’s passed him, Harry doesn’t bother thinking about.

Later in the evening, when the pub is starting to quieten down and their little party have a lightness about them, Lee sidles up to Michelle where she’s talking to one of her friends.

“Hey, luv. Can I talk to ya for a sec?”

“What’s up?”

Lee pulls her up out of her chair and takes a deep breath.

“’ve been plannin’ this for ages and couldn’t think of a better time to do it. Michelle, will you marry me?”

Michelle’s eyes widen and she manages a small nod.

“We don’t have to get married straight away, I just want you to know that I’m ‘ere for you fer as long as you want me.” He smacks a kiss on her cheek, “you and the baby.”

She gives Lee a watery smile and reaches up to wrap her arms around his shoulders.

The pub erupts into a loud applause, their closer friends whistle and cheer. Harry can’t help the small sense of pride he has for the kid he saved from getting beaten up in an alleyway as he claps.

: :

Gary Unwin is born on the third of June 1992. 

The name doesn’t stick for long when one of his first words in an imitation of Lee’s first nickname for his son, little Excalibur. Lee starts calling him Eggsy.

Harry buys a snowglobe for him with the boy’s name engraved on the base.

: :

Lee looks every inch a gentleman in his suit Harry had helped him choose, Harry notes from his seat in the pew at the back of the church. He smiles to himself when he spots little five year old Gary looking the spitting image of his father in his own suit (also chosen with Harry’s help). The boy had grown since he had last seen him and was standing proudly next to Lee and his best man. 

His thoughts are interrupted as the main doors creak open and everyone turns to see Michelle enter the church. She looks stunning with her softly curled hair and off-white dress. Harry glances back at Lee and watches his face soften as Michelle starts to make her way down the aisle.

Lee catches Harry’s eye and gives him a wink. 

: :

“Lee, I have something to tell you,” Harry says during one of their pub nights almost a year after the wedding.

“Uh oh, sounds serious,” Lee laughs.

Harry gives him a look that makes Lee’s smile drop. 

“I told you I work as a tailor on Savile Row, yes?”

Lee nods.

“I hate that I’ve had to do this to you, but that was sort of a lie. I do work at Kingsman, but I’m not a tailor. I need you to tell me you believe me before I can go on with why I’m telling you this.”

“Harry, of all the people in the world, you’re one o’ the few I trust with my life. I would believe  _anything_ you told me.”

“Even if I told you I’m a spy in a branch of the British secret service?”

Lee raises his eyebrows, “ya kiddin’ me, yeah? This is a prank innit?”

“I’m afraid not. Kingsman the tailor is a front for the agency. You remember a few months ago when I told you I was having trouble breathing because of hayfever?” Lee nods. “I really had two broken ribs which had almost punctured my lung after being thrown down a few flights of stairs on a mission. You’ve seen my scars, you don’t get those making suits.”

“Seriously?”

Harry nods, “we’re looking to recruit a new member. How would you like to become a Kingsman?”

“Me? A spy?”

“You’re loyal, intelligent and can hold yourself in a fight. I believe with our training you have the ability to become one of the best.”

“What about my family? Eggsy’s only six, remember.”

“They’ll be put under Kingsman’s protection. The pay isn’t half bad, either. You’ll be able to buy little Eggsy all the toys he could ever want and finally sort the mortgage on that house you and Michelle have been looking at.”

Lee purses his lips and stares at the table for a moment, fiddling with his ring. When he looks up, he gives Harry the grin he had after the fight when they had first met, “when can I start?”

**Author's Note:**

> Come party on my [tumblr](http://sherlocksbuttonhole.tumblr.com/).


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